Model Ashleigh Good photographed in the office of her agency Ford Models during NY Fashion Week. Photo / Babiche Martens
She's over the snow and her feet are sore, but nothing - certainly not below-zero temperatures - will stop Ashleigh Good in her ascent as one of the top models in the world right now.
"Discovered" on Auckland's North Shore by local agency RPD Models, Ashleigh came to New York
two years ago and now spends about a third of her time in the city between lucrative jobs - including, recently, a Prada campaign, posing for French photographer Patrick Demarchelier, and the Chanel show in Dallas (she is an ongoing favourite of Karl Lagerfeld, who has cast her in seven consecutive Chanel shows; she told us she was skipping London Fashion Week to work on a project with Karl in Paris).
New York is a second home for the tomboyish beauty, who appreciates the city's hard-working, fun-loving attitude, and nowhere is that more evident than during New York Fashion Week. This was Ashleigh's fourth NYFW, a typically hectic week of 15 shows including appearances for Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Alexander Wang, Donna Karan, Diane von Furstenberg and Vera Wang.
"I live by Times Square - most people think this is crazy because it's so busy and loud but I live a few blocks across, closer to the Hudson River, so I'm far enough away for it to be comfortable. I love the hustle and bustle of the area, there is everything you need there. And my awe of the size and lights of Times Square never goes away. At night, it's still magical to me.
"How to make it in New York? Just go with it. Learn the subway and how to hail a cab, you'll be fine. It's very easy to get around, you just have to feel comfortable, move with the crowds and try not to get trampled. Just make it your city, allow it to consume you - there's no point fighting it. Oh, and don't bother trying to drive. You will surely kill or be killed.
